Tire-tightener



0. E. BROOKHART.

T RE TI H ENER Patented Nov. 9, 1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

OHAUNCEYEDWVARD BROOKHART, OF OROSSVILLE, TENNESSEE.

TIRE-TIGHTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,293, dated November 9, 1897. Application filed April 1, 1897. Serial No. 630,218. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAUNCEY EDWARD BROOKHART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Orossville, in the county of Cumberland and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folly-Joints and Tire-Tighteners; and I do hereby declare the following to be. a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a combined fellyjoint and tire-tightener; and it consists, essentially, of right andleft hand screw-threaded devices cooperating to simultaneously expand or tighten a felly.

The invention further consists of the details of construction and arrangement of the several parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to avoid the necessity of resetting a tire of a wheel by means which are simple and effective in their construction and operation and. easily and readily applied in proper position.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view of a portion of a felly-joint, showing the improved device applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the parts of the improved devices disconnected from the felly.

Referring to the drawings,wherein similar numerals of reference are employed to inclicate corresponding parts in the views, the numerals 1 and 2 designate the opposite parts of a felly forming a joint, which have their adjacent ends beveled inward toward the center to provide opposite conical openings 3 and 4. Within the opening 4 a wedge 5 is adjustably mounted and engages the left hand screw-threaded enlarged portion of a bolt 6, which has an inner angular head '7, adapted to be engaged by a wrench or other analogous turning device. In the outer or upper conical opening 3 is adj ustably mounted another wedge 8, which engages a reduced right-hand screw-threaded portion 9 of the said bolt, and over the entire device is suitably fitted a clip 10 to form a covering and protect the wedges and the screw from the congregation of dirt or other material thereon. The said clip is contracted at its center on each side, as the inward extent of the felly ends at these points does not require as widea covering, and metal is thereby saved in making the said clip.

The wedges 5 and 8 are of course of less thickness than the depth of the openings 3 and 4, so as to permit an adjustment of the said wedges in the openings to a greater or less distance and in accordance with the size of said openings and the wedges.

In operation, when it is desired to expand the felly, the head 7 of the bolt is engaged by a suitable wrench and turned to move the wedge 5 inwardly against the adjacent beveled walls of the opening 4, and at the same time the wedge 8 is drawn inwardly into the opening 3, which operation ensues in View of the screw-threaded construction heretofore set forth. This expands the felly or rim of the wheel and forms a convenient means of tightening the tire. The wedges 5 and 8 are also formed with flanges 11 on opposite sides, which fit in grooves 12 in the opposite engaging portions of the felly ends, to assist in guiding the said wedges in their adjustable movement and also prevent any tendency to turn.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that a combined tightener and fastener is provided, as the clip provides an ample means for the adjustable feature and at the same time secures the two adjacent parts.

The screw-threads in the wedge that works on the inside of the rim must have two or more turns to the inch more than the screwthreads'in the wedge working on the outside of rim.

'lheends of fellies against which the wedges work should be faced with metal to prevent wear and splitting.

. Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a combined device of the character set forth, the combination with felly ends beveled to form opposite conical openings, of a pair of wedges mounted in said openings, and

a bolt having right and left screw-threads thereon and adapted to be operated to draw the wedges toward each other and spread the said felly, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

. a V l' J i 2. In a combined device of the character set forth, the combination with beveled felly ends forming oppositely-disposed conical recesses or openings, a bolt having an enlarged and reduced portion with opposite screwthreads thereon, and wedges engaging the different screw-threaded parts of said bolt and adapted to be drawn simultaneously inward, or moved outward, and a clip for covering the said devices, substantially as and for the pur- 1o poses specified. V In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GHAUNOEY EDWARD BROOKHART. WVitnesses:

HENRY V. B. SMITH, JOHN Q. BENNETT. 

